Two Steps
by DCFanatic4life
Summary: Chris wanted to save Stephanie from Randy, but he just wasn't fast enough...Jericho/Steph...one-shot


**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or the real people portrayed in this story. The characters belong to WWE and the real people own themselves. Again, this is rated M for a reason. Anyone who is underage should just turn around and go read some wholesome Jericho/Steph, there's plenty to choose from!

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**A/N: Okay, so after Monday, this struck me so I was like, what the hell, I'm going to write this and post it. Also, this whole H/Steph thing has like, incited me to want to write even more so I'm thinking very seriously about updating whenever I want to and not restricting myself to just updating Monday night/Tuesday morning, so I guess you heard it hear first that you need to be on your toes because I'll update whenever!

Anyways, I hope you enjoy this and leave a review telling me what you think! My stuff is getting dirtier by the day. ;)

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He was two steps from the stairs.

He had been watching. He was silently standing there, not drawing attention to himself for once. He didn't know why he had been out there. His place on the show had happened. He'd spoken when he wanted to and when Piper had come out, Chris had taken care of his business. He could've left, but something wasn't letting him. Or someone wasn't letting him.

He knew Stephanie would go out there. As soon as Shane had been hurt, he knew she'd go out there, knew she was already on her way, her feet moving rapidly towards her brother. Even thought they fought, the McMahons tended to stick together when times got rough. She would go out there, risking herself to check on her brother. She would've known something was going to happen. She knew the risk and went out there anyway because that's just who Stephanie McMahon was.

When Randy had RKO'ed her, Chris's own feet felt like they were moving rapidly. He'd been stunned for a moment, not thinking Randy actually capable of something like that. When he'd hated Stephanie (for much better reasons than Randy), he'd never hurt her like that. He'd gone easy on her, time and time again. He'd only ever wanted to get the point across that he didn't like her. He'd never entertained the thought of actually hurting her. So when Randy RKO'ed her, he'd stayed still for a moment before his body started working.

He'd go to her. He'd run out there and he'd save her. Yes, he had his own problems right now, the entire WWE Hall of Fame seemed to want to kick his ass, but none of that was important now. Stephanie was down and he needed to get to her. He'd take on Randy himself. Shane couldn't do it, Shane wasn't strong enough, not a wrestler. Chris _was_ a wrestler and he knew he could beat Randy. It didn't matter if he wasn't holding the title, he would take on that bastard for what he had done. He'd had Randy beat when he'd come back from his absence and if not for a well-timed kick from JBL, he'd definitely have beaten Randy. Now would be no exception.

Everyone who hated him, from Rourke on down to Piper could wait. They could all wait until after Chris took out Randy. He was going out there to save her. Maybe this was his purpose all along. He'd never been there to save the fans, he'd never been there to save himself, it was all to save Stephanie. Maybe that's all it ever came down to. He was going to save Stephanie and fulfill the goal he'd come back to do, he was going to save _someone_ and it was only fitting it be the one person who brought him back.

He was two steps from the stairs.

Then there was a blur. Chris was about to rush out there, his hands clenched into fists when the blur passed him, overtook him, and the cheer of the crowd overwhelmed him. He'd gotten a glimpse of the blur and his step seemed to slow then stopped altogether. The crowd was cheering his arrival, but Chris wasn't cheering. He was the one supposed to be out there. Where had even come from? Chris hadn't been expecting him here, but it was when you least expected something that it actually happened.

He slowly turned towards the monitor, but he couldn't see it from here so he moved closer. He could hear a low murmur around him. It didn't sound like whispering, but just noise, kept so low he couldn't distinguish anything, but the tone was surprised. Nobody expected Hunter to be the one to run out there. Maybe they didn't expect anyone to go out there and help her, but he'd been so close. He was going to help her; _he_ was going to be her savior.

Instead, it was _him_. If ever Chris had an archenemy, it would be Hunter Hearst Helmsley. Just when Chris thought he was gone for good, he'd pop right back into his life. Even when he was gone, away from the business, he'd heard things about how Hunter had been glad to see him go. It was like Hunter could just never get over this rivalry that Chris had never even wanted to be a part of in the first place. Once again, he'd been beaten to the punch. Hunter was out there, Hunter was angry, Hunter was going to get revenge. Hunter was going to protect Stephanie.

He was two steps from the stairs.

Hunter led Stephanie backstage. She was definitely groggy, swaying a little on her feet. She was rubbing her neck, obviously from the RKO she'd taken. Hunter was whispering words in her ear and Chris would give anything to hear the words. No, no, he'd give _anything_ to be the one whispering in her ear. He'd reassure her, tell her that everything was going to be alright and he would take care of everything, he'd take care of Randy. Hunter's arm snaked around her waist when she swayed particularly hard. Chris's arm would've already been there.

He was leaning back against the wall. People were asking if Stephanie was okay. Paramedics and trainers were rushing towards her. Hunter was barking at them, helping her sit down as one of the paramedics knelt down in front of her. He was asking her questions, making sure she didn't have a concussion. Like the champ she was, she pushed the questions away, insisting she was okay. Chris would've insisted she go get checked out, but Hunter just told them to leave her alone. He kissed her temple as they left and she smiled briefly at him before rubbing her neck.

He wanted to walk to her. He wanted the crowd to just spread out like the Red Sea, allow him passage so he could check on her himself. He knew it wouldn't fly, knew that Hunter would look at him distrustfully, that even Stephanie would look at him perplexed, but he almost willed it to happen, his brain trying to send out waves to brainwash everyone so he could get to her.

But she stood up before the waves could part. Hunter was still by her side and Chris looked on jealously. They walked by him, but didn't even seem to notice him. He didn't know why he followed her. Maybe she had some sort of gravitational pull that instinctively made him need to be around her. He just found he was a few paces behind them. Hunter had his arm around her waist again and the gesture tightened Chris's heart, making it pound thickly in his chest.

Then something lucky happened. Hunter let Stephanie go into her office alone. He told her something in soft tones, brushing her hair out of her face while he said it. Her hair had become tousled when she fell, but for Chris, it only made her that much more beautiful. It wasn't fair that he had to admire that beauty from afar. If he were Hunter, he would've told her how beautiful she looked, even after she'd been assaulted. He wouldn't tuck her hair away from her face. He'd let it stay there, let it frame her gorgeous face.

Hunter's hand traced down her face and he liked to imagine that she shuddered at it, but he couldn't tell from this far away. He was leaning against the wall again. He should just change his job to wall holder-upper, he was good at it. He crossed his arms and his legs as he stared down at the ground. He didn't want to see any more of this display. Yes, they were married, yes, they had kids, yes, yes, yes, he got it, he _got_ it, did it mean he had to see it like this? They'd been so meticulous to keep their marriage out of work, to let Hunter be his own guy and let Stephanie do her job, but now it was meshing, the two were becoming one and he couldn't stand it. He couldn't stand the affirmation it brought that they were married. And he was just some guy.

He was two steps away from the stairs.

Hunter left her after a few minutes. Chris would've never left her. He could've run into a fence with his car and the cops were towing it away, his father could've been having a heart attack and Chris wouldn't have left her side. But maybe that was just one of the differences between him and Hunter. Or maybe Stephanie had sent him away. He didn't much know and he wasn't going to find out. Stephanie slipped into her office and Chris finally took another step forward, almost expecting the wall to fall beside him. It didn't and he kept walking until he reached her door. Knocking would be ideal, but he wasn't in the mood to knock so he walked right in.

Stephanie turned around in a flash. She'd been startled when the door opened. Hunter had told her he was going to go with Shane to the hospital. She wanted to drive herself there. He'd argued with her at first, but she was assertive. When the door opened, she half-expected it to be Randy, coming back to finish her off. She was relieved to see it wasn't Randy, but Chris Jericho instead. She could deal with Chris Jericho.

"You scared me," Stephanie told him.

Chris stood back against the door. "Sorry."

"It's okay," she told him, stretching her neck from side to side. In doing so, she missed Chris locking the door.

"Are you okay?"

"I've been better," she told him. "Just sore I guess."

He was two steps away from her.

He covered those two steps in less than two seconds.

He pulled her towards him and she only yelped softly. His lips were on hers and covering hers, pressing himself into her. She opened her mouth, wrapping her arms around him. He lifted her up, placing his hands under her thighs. She must not be too sore because she wrapped her legs around his waist. He lifted her higher and she clung to him like a life preserver, keeping her afloat. Her mouth was hot and sticky wet and his tongue couldn't get enough.

"I need you, I need you," Chris whispered, his voice muffled, but it was almost like his words entered her mouth and traveled straight to her brain, like she could _feel_ his words traveling through her.

She didn't respond, just kissed him harder, pulling away to gasp and then attack his neck. They stood there for a few minutes, just making out with each other before Chris actually stumbled backwards, hitting the door with a thud. They were in such a frenzy they didn't even care as Chris flipped them around and now she was thudding against the door and she groaned. He was suddenly aware she'd taken a hard hit a short time ago and he pulled away. His eyes were flashing and his cheeks were flushed, but there was a note of concern in them now.

"God, I'm sorry, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Stephanie told him.

"But you were hurt, Randy…"

"I'm fine," she told him, staring him straight in the eyes. They were sharp and calculated, like usual. They were the two most gorgeous eyes Chris had ever laid eyes on.

"You weren't hurt at all?"

"It was unexpected," she said, pulling him towards her neck, "but I've learned how to take a move or two in my day, Chris."

He would've answered, but her insistent hand pressing against his spine was his main focus right now. He nipped at her skin, leaving little red marks against her smooth skin, which disappeared after a few seconds, letting another one take its place. Stephanie moaned, feeling herself filling with need and feeling a flooding in parts that needed attention soon. He was filling with the same need because he was pressing his legs into hers and she could feel him against her. She could already feel him inside her, the sensation impressed into her mind. The saying should be "Once you have Chris Jericho, you never go back."

"We have to hurry," she told him, gasping as his cold fingers slipped under her shirt. He was palming her breast, teasing her by slipping his hand briefly in her bra, then pulling it out and skimming his hand across her stomach. She arched into his touch as it got warmer and warmer against her skin. "I need…hospital…go…Shane…Hunter."

"No, don't," he told her, begging her, like always, to not mention Hunter. She never wanted him to mention Hunter. For these few moments he could ignore the other man in this equation. For a few moments he could ignore that he had been the one to save her in front of the world, laying claim to her one again.

He was two steps from the stairs.

"Sorry," she whispered hastily. "Just hurry."

He didn't want to be quick with her. He hated being quick with her. He never got his fill when they were quick. When Hunter had been moved over to SmackDown, he'd been so happy because it meant nights where they could enjoy each other, where he could just enjoy being with her, where he could stay the night and know what Stephanie looked like when she woke up, with those startling gray eyes.

He wanted to say no, but he couldn't. He had no words for that. He never had the words that got her to stay. He searched for them always, playing with words, switching them and moving them in his mind like one of those magnetic poems people had on their refrigerators. None of them ever felt right and none of them ever got her to stay with him. He feared there were no words to get her to stay with him.

Instead, he pulled her shirt up just enough to get at her breasts. She wanted it off though she wanted to hurry and it was a black heap on the ground in no time. The bra though, didn't come off, the straps came down and his mouth was on her soft flesh. He kissed around her cleavage, then in the valley of her breasts, then her stomach before he was kneeling before her tan pants. He unzipped them and pulled them down slowly. Her legs were enticing, and he revealed more of her as he pulled them down. She only slipped foot out for convenience.

He reached up to the straps of her underwear and slowly pulled them down. Her passion for this man was rising rapidly and it showed in her breath, which quickened significantly. She closed her eyes and let her head bang against the door as she gasped her approval. Again, only one leg lifted and so her underwear and pants stayed hooked around her right ankle. She created a delicious picture and he kissed her pelvic bone, working his way lower and lower diagonally. His hands reached her first, one finger teasing, circling, searching.

"No, no," she told him, grabbing his short hair and pulling him up. "Need you…"

Her words were faint, but her eyes held lust and promise. He stood up, knowing she didn't need foreplay, she just needed him. She tugged at his belt, pulling it out and throwing it down to the ground. Then his button, then the zipper down. She didn't bother with teasing, she pulled his pants and his boxers down, letting them pool around his knees. He still had his jacket on and she pulled that off. Then she lunged for his lips and pressed her need against his and he groaned. He was already so hard for her and so sensitive so Stephanie pressing against him was torturous. On any other day, when they did have time, she'd kneel before him and her tongue would swirl around him and she'd look up at him teasingly.

Not today though. He plunged into her, stealing her breath from her. Her back was to the door and it was cold, but she wanted him pressed against her. She wanted all of him in her. She hooked her leg around his waist and pulled him in farther. He groaned and buried his face into her hair, feeling her gripping him from the inside. They stayed motionless for a moment, a slow down in this fast-paced segment of moments. His breath created condensation against her neck, mingling with the perspiration from the encounter. Her forehead was resting on his shoulder, savoring the moment and the feeling of him throbbing against her insides.

She bucked against him a little to let him know she was ready for it and he complied. He moved within her expertly, knowing the angles to use to get her going. They were in a public place so she couldn't be as loud as she usually was, but Chris was plunging and withdrawing rapidly and she was moving against him and thrusting back, meeting him with all she had in the moment. He forgot about everything except the way their bodies clung to one another. The gravitational pull had sucked him in again.

She bit him on the shoulder to keep from moaning as he hit her spot over and over again. Chris was nearing his climax and she was too, he could tell from the way her nails were digging into his back. She moved her hands up to grip his neck and cling to him. He kissed her as he climaxed and he could feel her releasing too, warmth flooding around him. He gasped and they stumbled back onto the couch and she landed on him, his body still connected with hers. She rested her head against him.

"I wanted to be the one to save you," he admitted as he stroked her hair.

"Chris…"

"I didn't know he'd be here. Why did you call him?"

"I don't know," Stephanie said, "he's my husband…"

"Why don't you leave him, Steph?" he asked.

She pulled away from him completely, leaving him feeling empty. "I've got to go, Chris. I have to go see how Shane is."

"Steph…"

"Chris, please don't. He makes the most sense." She grabbed her clothes and dressed hastily. He stood up and pulled up his pants and boxers, zipping himself up. Neither one had time to clean up right now.

"You don't think I could beat Randy."

"I don't think it would be appropriate for my lover to supersede my husband," she said and she sounded cold. "I'm sorry, you know what I mean. I just don't think it would look good. He'd get suspicious. We agreed…"

"Yeah, we agreed…"

"I love you, Chris," she said, kissing him.

"Leave him."

"Chris, I've got to go."

"I love you too," he said, almost grudgingly. She kissed him again and then she was gone.

He was two steps away from getting her to stay.


End file.
